Government: Local and State — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Children can vote in every election.
Corrected: Only adult citizens can vote in elections.
Voting is reserved for citizens who are 18 or older, so children cannot vote — they have to wait until they grow up to cast a ballot.
2. Fix the sentence:
The governor collects trash in your neighborhood.
Corrected: Local government collects trash in your neighborhood.
The governor leads the whole state, not neighborhood services — trash pickup is handled by local city or town workers hired by the local government.
3. Fix the sentence:
Laws are made so only leaders have to follow them.
Corrected: Laws are made so everyone has to follow them.
Laws keep the community fair and safe only if they apply to all people equally — leaders, grown-ups, and kids all have to follow the same rules.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The governor is the leader who works in the state capital.
The governor is the top leader elected to run the state, and the state capital is the city where state lawmakers and the governor have their offices.
2. When citizens vote, they help choose their leaders.
Voting is how the people of a democracy pick who will speak for them, so every ballot helps decide which leaders take office.
3. A law is a rule made by the government that everyone must obey.
A law is an official rule that government leaders pass together, and once it's a law every person in that area has to obey it.
4. Local government uses tax money to run public services like the library.
A public library is one of many shared services, and the local government uses pooled tax money to keep them open for everyone in the community.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The governor helps make laws that apply across the whole state.
True False
The governor signs bills into law and works with the state legislature, and once a bill is signed it applies to every person living in the state.
2. Taxes are gifts that people give to the mayor.
True False
Taxes are required payments — not gifts — and they go into the government treasury to pay for public services, not into any one leader's pocket.
3. Voting is one of the most important responsibilities of a citizen.
True False
Voting is how citizens shape their government by choosing leaders, which is why it is one of the biggest responsibilities of grown-up citizens.